Engine Warning Light - Need New Computer!

[Mr Rossi]

Hi all

Just had my 2001 Gen 7 Celica serviced. The 'engine warning' light came on for 2 days, then was fine for the next 3... asked Toyota to check it out and they've traced the issue - they say a new computer may be needed - at a cost of £912!!!

Whoa.

The light is off now so may be fine... but if it comes back on...?

Do they mean the ECU? Is this something I could replace myself, say, from a second hand/scrapyard ECU?

Cheers!

Ross

[edwardio]

Sorry to hear the news, but you might not need one.

How was the car before the service - anything feel strange or anything happen?

What was changed on the car before the service?

Did the light only come on after the car was serviced?

What was changed in the service & what was carried out?

If you use a second hand ECU, you will need either new keys or have the new ECU coded to your old keys. Either way won't be cheap!

[Scarlett Arrow]

Buy or borrow an OBDII code reader, you'll then know what is triggering the CEL/EML. Without the code it's impossible to diagnose the problem, but could be a relatively cheap fix if for example it's a lambda sensor that's failed.

[Mr Rossi]

Thanks guys. The light came on for two days and I knew I was overdue a service so figured I'd get it booked in and checked. It then went off the 3 days before the service... and hasn't come back on.

I'm hoping it doesn't!

[Mr Rossi]

Well it came on again... but car may have over heated anyway... long story!

If I did fit a second hand ECU, then I guess the remote keys wouldn't work (until I got it re-programmed) but the key would still open the door / turn the ignition - not the end of the world!

Can you just unplug/plug in another ECU? Easy to access? Or is there more to it than that...?

[edwardio]

You can just unplug & put the new one in.

Yes you can unlock the doors & turn the ignition on but I very much doubt that the car will start.

Again:

How was the car before the service - anything feel strange or anything happen?

What was changed on the car before the service?

Did the light only come on after the car was serviced?

What was changed in the service & what was carried out?

[Scarlett Arrow]

The Immobiliser is tied in with the ECU, so unless the Keys are programmed into the ECU, they will be virtually useless. Only look at replacing the ECU as a very last resort. If it's a 140/VVTi, is it burning any oil?, the 2001 cars are renowned for it. The OBDII code reader I mentioned above is not expensive, post the readout code up on here or celica club, and you'll get a good idea of where the problem lies.

[Mr Rossi]

Thanks everyone. It seems that I now have a separate issue, a leaking radiator. They pointed it out at the service but I ignored it because the coolant tank has always been right at the bottom (leak higher up?) and it's never had any problems. Wondering if they've aggravated/disturbed the leak somehow... anyway, it's bad now, and the engine warning light this time was due to the it overheating. I've tried radweld but no good, it needs a new rad!

Toyota Inchcape had quoted £630 but I checked online:

A quick search finds me one here at £117:

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/c/Toyota_Celica_1.8_2001/p/car-parts/car-cooling-parts-and-car-heating/cooling/car-radiator/?203820760&1&f63ea81b9820bb5bb070534da87c14e6541eefb7&000261

-and I believe it's only an hours labour (or so??) which my local garage can do...

If, when that's all sorted, the warning light comes back on, I'll look into the OBDII code reader and take it from there.

[edwardio]

The radiators are prone to going on these in the bottom corners, but you can't normally see as they sit right on top of a chassis bar.

It might only be an hour to fit, but they are a sod to bleed properly. So will probably take longer.

[Mr Rossi]

Thanks mate (and Merry Christmas!) - I'll get a couple of local garages to give me a quote.

[Mr Rossi]

Well the rad was sorted and everything was fine for a few months, but now my warning light is back on.

Assuming it is the ECU that's at fault (I need to get it diagnosed/one of those readers), I just wanted to go back to the question of replacing with another ECU (loads on eBay cheap!)....

There was this statement:

"The Immobiliser is tied in with the ECU, so unless the Keys are programmed into the ECU, they will be virtually useless"

Currently I'm not using the remote central locking anyway, just using the key to open the door/start the car. Does that mean the immobiliser isn't even engaged OR is the immobiliser NOT operated through the buttons, but is actually a transponder in the car? As it's the latter than the sentence above makes sense - I'd need to program the key to the ECU.

But if it's the former then in theory I can just replace the ECU and it'll still all work? Am I over simplifying?

[edwardio]

Surely if there was an ECU issue, the eng man light would have come on a lot sooner than a couple of months. Yes sometimes the ECU needs to see the same error a few times before turning the light on, but surely this would happen over days & not months!

When the light came on had anything strange happened or had the car been messing around for a wee bit before?

How is your oil level?

Also if you just switch ECU's, the car won't start as the key won't be programmed to the car.

[Mr Rossi]

True... no, the car is fine, nothing has changing, been driving well - I do 2 runs of 110 miles each week (although some weeks I use another car and it may stand for 3-4 days, but then I'll at least do 15-30 miles in it at the weekend). Oil level, coolant level all ok.

Still don't get this:

"Also if you just switch ECU's, the car won't start as the key won't be programmed to the car"

Has the key got some kind of sensor in it then (transponder?) that maps to the ECU? I'm just using the key - not pressing the buttons...

[edwardio]

True... no, the car is fine, nothing has changing, been driving well - I do 2 runs of 110 miles each week (although some weeks I use another car and it may stand for 3-4 days, but then I'll at least do 15-30 miles in it at the weekend). Oil level, coolant level all ok.

Still don't get this:

"Also if you just switch ECU's, the car won't start as the key won't be programmed to the car"

Has the key got some kind of sensor in it then (transponder?) that maps to the ECU? I'm just using the key - not pressing the buttons...

Yeah in the key housing is a transponder. Even if you only unlocked the car via the key, the immobiliser will still be on. Therefore when you try to use the unmatched key, it won't start. I'm pretty sure there is some way to programme the keys yourself (turn to x for 5 sec, turn back, open & close doors 5 times etc - that sort of thing), but I don't know it off hand.

[Mr Rossi]

Ah great, thanks mate, that makes sense... I'll do some googling and see if there's a way that can be done. I found some notes previously on how to temporarily bypass the alarm (I had problems with my remote c/l) with various key presses, might be something similar for this.

It's just I can see ECUs for £10 on eBay and the garage will charge me £20 for the diagnostic before sending away for repair which will cost between £50 and £100!

Like you say though, might not be the ECU so I need to look at the code reader option too...

[edwardio]

Ah great, thanks mate, that makes sense... I'll do some googling and see if there's a way that can be done. I found some notes previously on how to temporarily bypass the alarm (I had problems with my remote c/l) with various key presses, might be something similar for this.

It's just I can see ECUs for £10 on Ebay and the garage will charge me £20 for the diagnostic before sending away for repair which will cost between £50 and £100!

Like you say though, might not be the ECU so I need to look at the code reader option too...

Where abouts are you based?

[Mr Rossi]

I'm in Nottingham but work half the week near Chester...

Ha !! The warning lights gone off again!! Sheesh. Been on since last Thursday constantly... why's it gone off today?!?! Was on this morning but had a 2 x 45 mins run tonight and not come on at all... bizarre.

[edwardio]

You could go to Coventry & see the Gen 7 guru himself, Lee at Se7en Motorsports. They're based in Coventry & there's nothing he don't know about the gen 7.

[Mr Rossi]

Ok, it's a bit of trek from where I am but might be worth contacting... thanks for the info

[edwardio]

Ok, it's a bit of trek from where I am but might be worth contacting... thanks for the info

You can find him on celica-club.co.uk and is completely worth it.

[Mr Rossi]

Thanks again, will check on there too. I've done some googling tonight and can get a ODBII reader for £20 which is definitely worth doing as my local 'cheap' garage wanted £20 to diagnose the car (and my Dad's 'recommended' garage wanted £30!) so will check when it arrives/the error comes back. Also found some info here http://www.celica.talktalk.net/ about key reprogramming, he suggests contacting him for more info but I found some other info that suggests you always need one master key for the current ECU to be able to map another key... fingers crossed it's not my ECU but something easier/cheaper :)